Thats a 17". I actually just built up this bike so yesterday was its first ride. I like the taller fork on it. My other bike only runs a 100mm fork, I've tried a longer fork and just don't like it, but this one rocks.

Thats a 17". I actually just built up this bike so yesterday was its first ride. I like the taller fork on it. My other bike only runs a 100mm fork, I've tried a longer fork and just don't like it, but this one rocks.

It rides absolutely awesome. Big difference to my old Spec. P.All Mountain with alu frame.
I really like the advantage steel frames give me. Handles very well in technical and gnarly terrain.
With the new Fox float the bike is lighter than Spec. as well, 27.8lbs to be more precise.

I was looking at the CORE (Surge as frame only), but found this more agile.

// -M-

thanks for the update.
think i need a new fork too...
mine's waaaay to heavy and too burly....

Awesome. I see you have zip ties around your cables, by chance is yours one of the ones with a backwards cable stop? Mine was. I really would like to at some point get a better fork for it. The one on it works ok, but has no adjustment really besides the travel adj. and is a little on the soft side for me (190lbs) I'm really debating between getting a 120mm fork or getting a bigger for that has a travel adjustment. When I built it up I was amazed at how light it turned out, aside from the brick of a fork on it. Its pretty light

I tried to keep this on a budget and think I did pretty well, came in just under 1300 I think. The frame was an 07 clearance from Phat Cycles, the fork and headset were a price point sale (maybe jenson, don't recall), same for the wheelset. The derailleurs, stem, bars, post and cluster were great ebay scores. Believe it's about 32lbs, but I hope to go ghetto tubeless soon.

Rides great - havent seen need to adjust it much of any. The cheap wheels hold up well, and I love the fork. I am 165 and ride with the med spring and a load of rebound. Blasts down hills, handles rough stuff well and climbs better than I hoped. I wouldn't hesitate to do some xc on it either, pretty comfortable.

Nothing big in the way of drops (like just under 2' max) - so the med spring has been perfect, I still generally have 2cm of travel left. I hope to get it to Diablo before halloween. Never been downhill, but they are supposed to have some trails that are ok for hardtails now - I'd be game to try worse. I would put the heavy spring in for that.

They are my first discs, but I think the BB7's are awesome - I can pretty much lock with one finger; they seem to modulate fine. Though as people say, they squeal like Ned Beatty when they're wet.

Scale 70

I bought this Scale 70 because the frame is the same aluminum up to the 40 and the same geometry as the carbon version. The bike also looked very familar and feels like an old friend.

I chucked the Alex 24 wheels in the shed and mounted a set of Mavic Crosstrails with Kenda tubeless tires. Avid BB7 mechanical disks, levers and I moved up to XT components. The front fork was upgraded to a Rock Shox Race Recon Solo Air and I also added a Thompson Elite 0-degree seat post but kept the Scott seat.

I bought this Scale 70 because the frame is the same aluminum up to the 40 and the same geometry as the carbon version. The bike also looked very familar and feels like an old friend.

I chucked the Alex 24 wheels in the shed and mounted a set of Mavic Crosstrails with Kenda tubeless tires. Avid BB7 mechanical disks, levers and I moved up to XT components. The front fork was upgraded to a Rock Shox Race Recon Solo Air and I also added a Thompson Elite 0-degree seat post but kept the Scott seat.

Here's my Iron Horse Yakuza Waka Gashira. Same frame as the pre-2008 Chimpira and Bakuto, but with a retina-burning paintjob.

It started out like this:

But now it looks like this:

I originally purchased this bike from Amazon (of all places) in a kind of offer I couldn't refuse situation. They ended up kicking an extra 20% off due to a bent derailer hanger (the customer service person didn't know what I was talking about, and just handed out a discount that sounded generous). Final price for the original complete bike was ~$300. I don't think I want to total up how much I've spent on it since then.

It's original purpose was something to bash around with at Bootleg during a bachelor party weekend. The low end parts spec really stood out though, and some upgrades were necessary. Currently the only original part left is the headset cups. In retrospect, it really wasn't that good of a deal, but it rides great now. The specs should be pretty easy to figure out from the detail shots below.

Hopefully this will help with the relative lack of good Yakuza HT (or Hard Tail, for indexing purposes) pictures on the forums.

Here are the latest pics of my Komodo now that I've ridden it for a week or two and changed some stuff. I really like the Revelation fork on this bike. I can crank it down to 100mm and it rides like an XC bike or top it out at 130mm and bomb down a hill

I feel mine is coming along nicely. Once I have my new wheelset on and a new fork next year, I should be about done. Just got the SLX RD last night. It got rid of my chainslap and the RD doesn't hit the chainstay anymore. Hurray!

Scratch

Banshee designed the Scratch and Morphine to be run on 24's, 24/26, or 26's. I wanted to run 3" tires so I went with 24" Doublewides, but decided to try the 2.6 Nokians first. Glad I did, as I can just fit the 2.6's with the rear wheel almost slammed. And although the frame would accept the 3"ers, I'd have to have the axle much further back for mud clearance.

I really dig this bike and the 24's. Drop the seat and I can ride this thing up/over/down anything - it's like a big BMX bike. Move up to full leg extension and I've put in 30-milers!

What travel is that 55? 140mm? 150mm? I hope it's not a 160mm.
That frame is nice! I had one, but since I'm short and I had a 16.5" frame was too big for me.

Yah...140. It's kind of a tall 140 though with the 20mm TA and extra tall lower headset bearing. The frame was orig. designed around 120-150, so I figured 140 was ideal. I prefer a little slack these days.

I read somewhere that it was internally convertible to 160, but that's too much for this frame.

So, it's essentially now a 930SHX with a better than stock fork, and in black. My previous Trek was identical, just completely stock, and about 1.5" too big. Didn't ride it at all after 1995, since it didn't fit right.

Heres my Komodo so far.... almost done

Been seeing alot of nice komodos lately and thought I'd put mine up too. Here what Ive got so far... sorry about the pic its in my attic. I'll put up the finished bike pics when it gets done... tire tubes shifters brakes.

What kind of frame is that? Here is my contribution to the Hardtail tread. My 2005 Mountain Cycle Rumble set up to concor anything in its path.....
I love this bike and so does every body that i ride with. Enjoy
Mike G.

Here's my go-fast hard tail. Giant Formula 1 Composite. Just a little over 21.5lbs...that includes the pedals and bottle cages. Most interesting part may be the Paul's Components Thumbies...accept Shimano's 9sp drop bar bar-end shifters and convert them into retro-style top-mount thumb shifters. These are the lightest indexed shifters that can be run... but efficient ergonomics are sacrificed a bit. I've also got a Pugsley that I ride when speed is not the priority...and extremely loose or soft surfaces are. Two hardtails that are definitely near the ends of the two extremes.

How does that puglsey ride through the snow and ice? i"ve been thinkin about gettin one for winter riding in iowa.

Wow I like some bikes here!! I have a GT avalanche, completely upgraded.
I love how it looks and rides, but I have to change the frame for something more "all mountain".
I think about the NS Society, but do you guys have other ideas for a nice frame, can be in
aluminium, and has to be tough, but I don't really jump, just want a bike that can stand an
agressive rider :-)

Now there's a bike i've never seen before.
Interesting geometry, I bet it can take any fork, even triple crowns?
Super nice bike man congrats

Yeah, they are very nice, and they can take a dual crown fork. I ran my Sluggo with a 180mm Domain, and I used the bike for DH/FR. I was considering an older 170mm dual crown before I bought my FS DH bike.

how does it climb? its a hardtail. I guess it could depend on what fork you use, I am void of warrenty cuz of that 36 I am running, oh well. I have it built at about the 32-33 pound range. its a great all around bike.

Sars 11.8

yo, sars, my b-17 is a sweet ride, the best hardtail i've ever ridden! super stiff and the geometry fits me really well. really versitle bike, drop the saddle and it almost feels like a dirt jump bike, great xc, but fosho aggressive all-mountain bike it is! i got mine set up with the xfusion "velvet", get that bro!

Pretty decent bike actually.. How do you like the Mountain Kings over the Bontragers? I've been looking into them, but I haven't found anyone who has actually ridden them. I was wondering about wear, cornering, and especially shedding. We had a thaw here, and my local trails were like riding on peanut butter yesterday.

Satisfied so far

Originally Posted by Barkleyfan

Pretty decent bike actually.. How do you like the Mountain Kings over the Bontragers? I've been looking into them, but I haven't found anyone who has actually ridden them. I was wondering about wear, cornering, and especially shedding. We had a thaw here, and my local trails were like riding on peanut butter yesterday.

The Mountain Kings have served me well. I ride in varying conditions, and they handle the varying terrain. Good shedders. I've run through some sludgey muck and they've thrown it within half a dozen pedal strokes...put it this way, I've never stopped riding and had mud in my treads. The tires have a couple hundred miles on them and are showing no signs of wear yet. Great traction, especially on some of the rock gardens I hit around here.

The Mountain Kings have served me well. I ride in varying conditions, and they handle the varying terrain. Good shedders. I've run through some sludgey muck and they've thrown it within half a dozen pedal strokes...put it this way, I've never stopped riding and had mud in my treads. The tires have a couple hundred miles on them and are showing no signs of wear yet. Great traction, especially on some of the rock gardens I hit around here.

Cool. I picked one up the other day for the front. Now I gotta look for a fork that has better clearance. The disc side rubs when I hammer, and it's annoying. I know the wheel could use some truing, but I'm a clyde, so that won't last like it did 80 pounds ago..Don't think I'll even try 2.4 on the back.

Truth in Advertising

Originally Posted by Barkleyfan

Cool. I picked one up the other day for the front. Now I gotta look for a fork that has better clearance. The disc side rubs when I hammer, and it's annoying. I know the wheel could use some truing, but I'm a clyde, so that won't last like it did 80 pounds ago..Don't think I'll even try 2.4 on the back.

Not sure if it matters to your set up, but the Mountain Kings are definitely not true 2.4 tires. They are more like 2.25 - 2.3. They still look bad-ass, but not 2.4s. (I'm nearly or sometimes a clyde, my weight fluctuating between 202 and 195, so I know the tires support us bigger folk).

Not sure if it matters to your set up, but the Mountain Kings are definitely not true 2.4 tires. They are more like 2.25 - 2.3. They still look bad-ass, but not 2.4s. (I'm nearly or sometimes a clyde, my weight fluctuating between 202 and 195, so I know the tires support us bigger folk).

I'll check rear clearance one of these days, but one of the nice things about running disc is not needing to worry about my wheels staying true. Never even looked at my rear wheel, but the front is offset to accommodate the disc. Disc side spokes are almost straight, while the other side has more dish, and it's only the disc side that is rubbing. I need a better fork than the Manitou Axel anyways, so I can get better clearance there, and getting the wheel trued should make everything golden with the MK up front. I'm at 220 now, and I'm planning on getting back up to 250, so rear wheels won't stay true no matter how well they're built. I have a 2.0 back there now, and it's pretty forgiving as far as clearance, which means less maintenance for me. But it's also pretty brutal being an aluminum HT. Guess I'll see what they can do with my wheels first, and go from there. I got Christmas, 3 birthdays, and tags for all my cars all coming in December, so no new bike parts coming for a while.